Five top aides to UK's Johnson step down amid 'partygate' scandal

Five top aides to British Prime Minister Boris Johnson have resigned from 10 Downing Street within hours of each other, dealing a fresh blow to his embattled government amid ‘partygate’ scandal.

A member of 10 Downing Street policy unit, Elena Narozanski, is the latest aide to leave Johnson's office, on Friday, according to Paul Goodman, the editor of Conservative Home. 

Narozanski served as a special adviser to the UK prime minister on women and equalities, department for culture, media and sport, and extremism.

Earlier, the UK Premier’s Policy Chief Munira Mirza, Chief of Staff Dan Rosenfield, Principal Private Secretary Martin Reynolds, and Communications Director Jack Doyle stepped down on Thursday, days after an incriminating probe confirmed multiple lockdown-breaching parties at the 10 Downing Street.

The mass exodus of Johnson’s key advisors came as he continues to resist calls for his resignation even after the probe report blasted “failures of leadership and judgment” at 10 Downing Street.

The drinks parties, which have stirred up a hornet’s nest in the UK, were hosted at Johnson’s official residence at a time when the country was under the strict coronavirus lockdown.

The report of the exhaustive investigation, made public on Monday, confirmed multiple parties and a culture of excessive drinking at Downing Street. 

"Against the backdrop of the pandemic, when the government was asking citizens to accept far-reaching restrictions on their lives, some of the behavior surrounding these gatherings is difficult to justify," the report, authored by Senior Civil Servant Sue Gray, noted.

British media has described Mirza's departure as “the most consequential,” citing her reputation as one of Johnson's longtime allies and a key political player who helped shape his platform – which also made her unpopular with other members of the ruling Conservative Party.

While Doyle's departure was expected, Rosenfield and Reynolds' resignations are being framed as part of a shake-up Johnson promised after the revelations from Monday's report.

A report in BBC quoted Doyle telling her staff that "recent weeks have taken a terrible toll on my family life", but that he had always intended to leave after two years.

Mirza, meanwhile, explained that her decision was motivated by controversial comments made by Johnson about opposition Labour Party Leader Keir Starmer.

ME